First off, don’t stress.
Usually only very few (<5%) are not head down by the time it is to give birth.
You may notice health care providers may start to get antsy however around the 35-36 week mark, especially if they can’t feel baby with their own hands to confirm. They may request an ultrasound at week 36 to confirm the baby's position. There are many ways for a baby to be, but when the baby is not head down we are typically referring to breech (head up) or transverse presentation.
If you are still fairly early in your pregnancy prior to week 32, you can promote your baby turning head down by working with your body through exercise, stretches and help from physical therapists. What I normally recommend is walking 7000-10,000 steps per day. Remember, it doesn’t have to be all at once if pregnancy discomfort is preventing long walks. A prenatal yoga class will likely have the stretches you need, however if it’s not your scene I would at minimum recommend the following:
For stretches:
Calf stretches after each long or mini walk: 30 sec - 1 min each side
- Front Lunge stretch: 1 minute each side 2x times per day
- Psoas release: 3 minute each side 2x/day
- 4 figure stretch: 1 minute each side 2x/day
- Modified Cat-Cow: 10 repetitions 2x/day
Physical therapists can further assess your muscular imbalances and give you a more personalized exercise and stretch regime. Also, many have in their training and skillset, therapies and treatments which can help to turn the baby.
So, if you are at week 35-36 and your health care provider tells you the baby is breech either from palpation or ultrasound…first, take a few deep breaths to calm down, there is still time, babies can still turn by 38 weeks (I have anecdotally seen it).
Depending on the type of breech and other factors (like placenta placement, growth percentile of baby etc) your care provider may recommend an ECV (external cephalic version) to turn your baby in order to have a vaginal birth. Depending on the training of your care provider team, they may be able to deliver your baby vaginally even if they are breech! This however, is a dying skill, and most opt to recommend C-section, even instead of ECV.
Don’t necessarily agree to a planned C-section prematurely until you have tried the following options:
The above walking and exercise recommendations in addition to:
- Guidance from a spinning babies aware practitioner to help balance the body through specific exercises. Check out Spinning babies for more information as well - they have a ton on their site!
- See Forward Leaning Inversion, Side lying release and Jiggle on the spinning babies website
- I took this workshop from Spinning Babies in 2022
- Working with a naturopath or TCM practitioner who can do acupuncture and moxa (see Dr. EeVon Lings' video)
- Naturopaths and homeopaths may also use certain homeopathics to help turn baby as well
- A chiropractor and/or osteopath to help with balancing the body’s anatomy to encourage space for baby to turn
- A pelvic floor physiotherapist to help externally and internally work on any hypertonic muscles of the pelvic floor, we frequently work with Cornerstone Physiotherapy
I would give it until week 39 (or even 40 if you are strong willed) to sit down and plan the c-section if your baby still has not turned. If you go into labour before your planned date, go to the hospital as soon as your labour starts and see if an ECV can be done, if not, they will be able to do your c-section shortly after.
If you do end up having a c-section, there are many areas of your recovery and postpartum experience that will be different. The first 72 hours after you bring your baby home can be really hard. You are discharged from the hospital just 2 days after and you are expected to take care of your recovery AND a newborn. Breastfeeding, is something that can be affected, read more here!
Prenatal Consult
This prenatal appointment with a naturopathic doctor is held in your home to help you prepare for your upcoming cesarean birth and recovery.
During the appointment she can cover any of the suggested topics:
- C-section birth plan
- Items to have for your recovery
- Tips on how to move about and minimize pain
- How to best set up your home for convenience and for sleep
- Managing your older child etc
- We can customize this appointment to your anticipated needs
Lactation consultant
The #1 challenge after a c-section is breastfeeding.
Our lactation consultants can arrange to go to the hospital soon after your baby is born or your home soon after you return with your baby and help you get a good start on breastfeeding, bottle feeding and pumping.
They can help you troubleshoot all of your nursing challenges: nipple pain, blocked ducts, feeding position and recommendations to assess for tongue tie and treatment.
Naturopathic Home Visit
We can arrange to have vital services come to your home within the first 72 hours when you bring your baby home. The naturopathic doctor can help with the following suggested topics:
- Make sure your recovery is going smoothly - she can check your incision, make sure your postpartum pain and bleeding is normal, give you tips on caring for your perineum (if needed) as well as provide nutritional advice and strategies to manage exhaustion.
- She can provide guidance on caring for your baby by answering questions and providing demonstrations on changing, washing and grooming your baby.
- Give advice around sleeping and setting up your home.
- And even provide instruction on how to massage and wear your baby in a carrier or wrap.
Remember there is no wrong way to have your baby, so if you are the 3-4% that do need a c-section for safety - that will be OK, and with the added help and support from your village your recovery and transition can be just as smooth and beautiful as anyone else's.
CO-FOUNDER: DR. OLIVIA CHUBEY, ND Hey! I’m Olivia, a Naturopathic Doctor, Birth Doula and HypnoBirthing Instructor. I believe in facilitating the change I want to see in the world, which is to remove the fear quite often associated with the birthing process. I’m passionate about creating a safe and loving space where parents can confidently make informed decisions that work best for them and their baby in collaboration with medical staff. Learn more about me here. Background and experience: I graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, completing my internship at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic, the Brampton Naturopathic Teaching Clinic and at LAMP Community Health Centre. I have a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from McMaster University. With an active background competing in rhythmic gymnastics, dance and powerlifting, I’ve come to understand the power and importance of the mind and it’s connection to the body. The value of this connection in healing is what brought me to Naturopathic Medicine, and what has continued to carry me through my other certifications in Doula work and HypnoBirthing.
